Hornbeam hedges are also so popular because they are very easy to care for and robust and hardly ever take offense at anything. Nevertheless, diseases and pest infestations can occasionally occur. What symptoms to look out for and what treatment is needed.

Regular pruning can prevent diseases

Diseases and pests on hornbeam hedges

The most common are:

  • mildew
  • leaf spot fungus
  • hornbeam spider mite

Recognize and treat powdery mildew

There is a whitish coating on the top and bottom of the leaves. The leaves curl up and have yellowish spots.

Powdery mildew is favored by drought. Make sure that the hornbeam hedge is neither too dry nor too damp.

Cut off affected shoots. For mild infestations, you can try spraying the affected leaves with diluted milk. In the case of severe infestation, only a fungicide from a specialist dealer will help.

Symptoms and treatment of leaf spot fungus

If the leaves have brown spots with a light center, it is an infestation with leaf spot fungus, which can also occur on young leaves.

The cause may be a too wet or too dry location. Water more frequently during dry periods.

Cut off and discard any affected parts. If the fungus occurs more frequently, there is a spray on the market that you can use to prevent it.

Identify and treat hornbeam spider mites

First, small spots can be seen on the upper side of the leaves, which enlarge and eventually lead to leaf drop. When heavily infested, the leaves are covered with a fine mesh.

Cutting the affected leaves helps here too. Since the hornbeam spider mite can cause major damage, the use of special pesticides must be considered.

prevent diseases

The best way to prevent diseases and pest infestations is to trim the hedge regularly.

The lower regions of the hornbeam hedge must also be thinned out. As a result, the plants are better aerated and pests and fungi cannot spread as much.

Affected leaves must not be left lying around, but must be disposed of in the garbage can.

tips

How robust a hornbeam hedge is is shown, among other things, by the fact that it even survives brief floods. After that, however, the hedge should be well thinned out so that the lower regions can also dry off.

Category:

Garden design